Safe routes to school (SRTS) programs aim to increase the share of students commuting to school by active modes (e.g., walking and cycling). This study measures the relationship between the presence of SRTS programs in a neighborhood and children’s journey-to-school mode choice. Children were identified from households in the 2012 California Household Travel Survey and they were classified based on whether they commuted to school by active modes. Next, census tracts with SRTS programs were identified based on the presence of data in the National Center for Safe Routes to School (NCSRTS) data collection system. Based on these two datasets, a logistic regression model estimated the likelihood that a child commuted to school by active modes, based on the presence of a SRTS program and controlling for individual, household, and tract characteristics. This analysis was supplemented with stakeholder interviews about the nature of SRTS programs within the study area and how they are perceived. Findings indicate that longer trip distance and race (relative to white students) are associated with reduced rates of active travel to school, but that these differences are mitigated by the presence of SRTS programs. Interviews suggest SRTS programs in the study area primarily emphasize education and encouragement rather than engineering interventions. It was concluded that the effect of such SRTS programming might best be described as reducing barriers to active school travel rather than simply increasing the likelihood of using active modes.

安全上学路线（SRTS）计划旨在通过主动模式（例如，步行和骑自行车）增加通勤上学的学生比例。这项研究测量了附近地区SRTS计划的存在与儿童的上学途中选择的关系。在2012年加州家庭旅行调查中从家庭中识别出儿童，并根据他们是否通过主动方式上下学对他们进行了分类。接下来，根据国家安全入学路线中心（NCSRTS）数据收集系统中的数据，确定具有SRTS程序的普查区。基于这两个数据集，逻辑回归模型基于SRTS程序的存在并控制个人，家庭和地区的特征，估计儿童通过主动模式通勤上学的可能性。利益相关者对研究区域内SRTS计划的性质以及对它们的看法的访谈补充了这一分析。研究结果表明，较长的出行距离和种族（相对于白人学生）与减少的积极上学旅行率有关，但是通过SRTS计划可以缓解这些差异。访谈表明，研究领域的SRTS计划主要强调教育和鼓励，而不是工程干预。结论是，最好将这种SRTS编程的效果描述为减少主动上学旅行的障碍，而不是简单地增加使用主动模式的可能性。研究结果表明，更长的出行距离和种族（相对于白人学生）与减少的主动上学旅行率有关，但是通过SRTS计划可以缓解这些差异。访谈表明，研究领域的SRTS计划主要强调教育和鼓励，而不是工程干预。结论是，最好将这种SRTS编程的效果描述为减少主动上学旅行的障碍，而不是简单地增加使用主动模式的可能性。研究结果表明，较长的出行距离和种族（相对于白人学生）与减少的积极上学旅行率有关，但是通过SRTS计划可以缓解这些差异。访谈表明，研究领域的SRTS计划主要强调教育和鼓励，而不是工程干预。结论是，最好将这种SRTS编程的效果描述为减少主动上学旅行的障碍，而不是简单地增加使用主动模式的可能性。访谈表明，研究领域的SRTS计划主要强调教育和鼓励，而不是工程干预。结论是，最好将这种SRTS编程的效果描述为减少主动上学旅行的障碍，而不是简单地增加使用主动模式的可能性。访谈表明，研究领域的SRTS计划主要强调教育和鼓励，而不是工程干预。结论是，最好将这种SRTS编程的效果描述为减少主动上学旅行的障碍，而不是简单地增加使用主动模式的可能性。